In a prior article on the Instagram Camera, I said that the potential legions of fans that the prototype would draw should probably take to Kickstarter.com, in a mob like fashion, to make that invention a reality. I meant that somewhat jokingly. Well, in just a short time fund raising on that very site, tech developer Eric Migicovsky, along with his “dream team”, and their invention The Pebble Watch have pretty much guaranteed that no one will be making jokes about Kickstarter ever again.
The Pebble watch, which raised an almost unfathomable $2.5 million in just three days on Kickstarter, is a smart watch that works with iPhone and Android devices. It’s essentially an evolution of the inPulse smart watch, also designed by Eric Migicovsky and Co., which worked with Blackberry devices. The Pebble takes certain apps and functions of your smart phone, like controlling your music playlists or providing a heads up when you receive a text message or phone call, and transfers them to the face of the watch. It has an e-ink display, is waterproof, scratchproof, keeps its’ charge for seven days, and even functions with an app developer program.
I’ve got to confess. As nice as all of that sounded, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the device at first. Or at least I didn’t understand how a “smart watch” could garner so much interest and cash in such a short time. But to truly appreciate the Pebble’s uses, you have to see the video that accompanies the product on Kickstarter.
No this isn’t a world changing device. That would be the smartphone. Instead this is a rare device that realizes that if you can’t beat the smartphone, you could do worse for yourself than to become its’ best friend. The Pebble is practically designed for joggers and bicyclists, as it allows you to do things like view your distance traveled, control your music, and manage incoming messages and calls without ever once having to break your motion. Even for pedestrians or drivers, the Pebble’s benefits of being able to access some of the most practical apps of your phone, without having to reach for it, actually brings your phone back to being a convenience and not a burden. Not to mention this finally makes the modern watch more than just jewelry, and also brings us one step closer to the sci-fi staple all purpose “wrist computer” (think Fallout’s Pip Boy device).
But really, the Pebble itself isn’t the story here. That belongs to Kickstarter. The idea of a program that could essentially allow consumers to choose the products they really want, without designers having to wade through the machine of corporate funding or personal loans for a project, was merely a vague notion whose successes have been treated as exceptions and novelty stories. But the Pebble has managed to raise over $10 million so far through Kickstarter (10,169% of its original goal), which is such an absurd figure that the developers are now pleading with people to stop contributing money as they have too much of it and can no longer meet demand.
Whatever success the Pebble watch has from here on out will be tied directly to Kickstarter. As word of the sites potential spreads, only time will tell if its’ bazaar of ideas will change certain foundations of commerce. But considering many people will be telling that time on their new Pebble watches, my guess is it’s got a pretty good shot.
I’ve never been much of a hat guy. Sure, we all have a friend who is a “hat guy” and is rarely caught without a hat on his head, but as I’ve gotten older, hats have more appeal.
And when I say hats, I don’t mean baseball caps or other hats adorned with the emblem of their favorite sports team. Those have their time and place, but you can’t wear those all the time. We’re men now fellas and it’s important to have a hat that can top off an astute, smooth look for those times when casual won’t cut it.
The hat scientists at David and Young (D&Y) have you covered, and they’ve just released their latest collection of men’s caps, fedoras and panamas in their Spring/Summer 2012 collection.
For purposes of this review, I was sent the D&Y tweed Duckbill in grey, tan and burnt orange colors. I pulled each one out of the box and was impressed immediately by the look. The grey one was calling my name, and at first, I was concerned about the one-size-fits-all Elastafit because it was a little snug. But that is the style of these hats, the way they are made. After a couple cocktails, the hat didn’t feel tight at all; in fact, it felt perfect.
So what do you do when you get a new hat from D&Y? You hit some bars and rock the shit out of that sucker, that’s what. As I strolled through the night, I checked my reflection whenever I passed the occasional reflective surface, and surprisingly, I looked great and was very impressed, especially for a guy who never wears a hat.
The other thing I noticed is that ladies dig a guy who isn’t dressed like every other shmoe (i.e. every other dude wearing a sports related cap). I was hanging out at a lounge enjoying a cold cup of Hennessy and actually got approached by two separate ladies, and the first thing that both of them said was, “I love that hat on you.”
If you want to try out a new look, or pretend you are someone else for a night, snag a hat from D&Y. But you’re not stuck with the Duckbill look alone. Check out the Straw Fedora, the Denim Cadet Hat, or even the Houndstooth Cabbie.
Do you know why? Because Duke Cannon is a MAN; not a kid on MTV with a hairless chest and perfect abdominals. Duke Cannon earned his chest hair by doing hard man work over the years and there’s no damn way he’s going to be conned into being embarrassed that he has it.
But what about the soap? Is it any good, or is it a POS product that survives only off great marketing, like the pet rock, Crystal Pepsi or Kim Kardashian before it? I was eager to find the answer.
In an era where men’s body wash gels have taken over, Duke Cannon’s Big Ass Brick of Soap is truly that; it’s a big, green piece of soap that has a big “D” (imprinted on it, you perv) and weighs three-quarters of a pound.
As I removed it from its sheath, I was assaulted by its fragrance. But it was a good, enjoyable assault. It smelled like a high quality men’s cologne rather than a fragrance associated with a bar of soap. Once Duke and I hit the shower after a long day at the orifice, Duke cleaned all my orifices in the most pleasing manners allowed by law. The soap also had these little yellow pieces of steel cut grains imbedded in it. Purportedly used for “maximum gripability,” they also worked to exfoliate and scrub dead skin from your body; you know, if you swing that way.
The Big Ass Brick of Soap came to a frothy head soon after we entered the shower and I never felt even an ounce of guilt or regret about it. The froth itself was very thick and laid down a dense layer of awesome all over my body. When it was time to rinse, it washed right off (which can be atypical of several leading men’s soaps), but the awesome lingered long after, and made me recall a time when me were men and weren’t ashamed of it either.
The next day I hit the shower again and thanks to the girth of Duke Cannon’s Big Ass Brick of Soap, it looked like I hadn’t even touched it the previous day, which means that for a meager $15 investment for three bars, you’re going to get more than a handful of uses in exchange for your hard earned cash.
Duke Cannon’s Big Ass Brick of Soap got me clean. And after all, isn’t that what soap is supposed to do? Check it out and buy some here.
Whether you are into sailing or just appreciate cool style in what you wear everyday check out the just released on March 1st Limited Edition Morgan Coast boat shoe from Rockport. These trendsetters or collectibles are limited to only 200 pairs that will be individually numbered. The original Morgan Coast shoe from Rockport was released in 1994 as the official boat shoe of the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race (later known as the Volvo Ocean Race). This new limited edition release hearkens back to Rockport’s rich sailing history, where the company’s shoes have been the casual and technical shoe of choice for many professional sailors and boating enthusiasts. We’re not quite into boating season yet in Northeast Ohio but I wore my test pair of Limited Edition Morgan Coast boat shoe in white from Rockport and I must say they are extremely comfortable and provide plenty of ankle support. The Rockport design team scoured sailing schools in the New England area to find the perfect vintage sail (approximately 170 square feet) and repurposed as fabric and material for 200 limited edition pairs.
The limited edition styles include two colorways of the Morgan Coast shoe in white and navy, and these shoes include many design cues and distinctive features that could be found on traditional sailing boats with Oversized grommets at the sides, with reinforced rubber gaskets, Zig zag stitching on the upper, reminiscent of stitching found on actual sails, Shoe laces that replicate the look of nautical rope and Ingenious hardware at the collar of the shoes which mimic pulley systems used in sailing. Bottom line is not only are these very sharp and unique shoes but the technology that Rockport put into these limited edition kicks is top of the line. Go to Rockport.com to learn more.
During his playing career, Joe Horn was an electrifying receiver who made play after play even though opposing defenses were keyed in on him week after week. Horn became a fan favorite during a career which saw him set the Saints career mark in touchdowns and make the Pro Bowl four times in five seasons. But what the fans loved even more than his production was the way he played and fought for every inch every time he had the ball.
Even though his playing career is over, “Hollywood” Horn is grinding it out in a different arena: the business world.
“I knew I’d go into business but I didn’t know what venue I’d go into,” said the Saints 2010 Hall of Fame inductee. “So when I retired, everyone thinks they can barbecue, so my brother said, ‘Joe you need to put this in a bottle man. Let people taste this.’ I love to barbecue. This is my product. I stand by it. I guarantee it.”
Building something from the ground up is nothing new to Horn. After playing two years at tiny Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Mississippi, Horn found himself working at a Bojangles restaurant in Fayetteville, Mississippi with no prospects of playing football as a career. Down to the final $6 in his possession, Horn spent $3.99 on a Jerry Rice workout video from a local Blockbuster and studied the drills and moves Rice performed in the video. Horn then made a highlight video of himself working out and sent the tape to multiple professional teams across America and Canada. One response Horn received was from the Memphis Mad Dogs of the CFL, who offered him a contract after viewing the tape and in his first year accumulated 1,414 yards on 71 catches. The rest is history.
Even though summer is over, you always need stylish shades as part of your wardrobe. We tried out these new Sean sunglasses from Guess that are now available at Guess.com as a web exclusive. Features include a handmade acetate frame and a Gothic “G” logo in open detail on temples along with UVA and UVB protection. The CR39 lens is also scratch resistant.
The thing you’ll notice right away when you put these on is that the lens has less curve and more space between face and frame. The lenses are also on the larger side as well, so we found that looked great on guys with a larger and rounder face.
These sunglasses retail for $80 so they’re a solid value as well. The website is pretty cool as you can zoom in and see the sunglasses from all angles.
We tried the brown pair and they come in gray as well. These sunglasses are very stylish and should be a great addition to your collection.
A bag for every situation. That may not be Slappa’s official slogan, but it could be. We’ve reviewed a slew of Slappa products over the years, most recently the 18” Kiken shoulder bag and the M.A.S.K. custom build backpack. Like all of Slappa’s gear, both the Kiken and M.A.S.K. offer loads of space, but while the Kiken works best for daily commutes and business travel, the M.A.S.K. is a customizable backpack perfect for overnighters and weekend trips. Slappa’s newest bags, the Kampus and Stovepipe duffle-style laptop backpacks, serve a more utilitarian purpose: to get as much of your gear as possible from Point A to Point B. Fortunately, with bottomless main storage areas and padded laptop compartments, Point B can be any number of destinations, from a long weekend with your buddies or a getaway with your girl to your Economics class across campus before heading to the gym.
Both backpacks are super lightweight and feature a 3.5 gallon duffle-style main compartment, a dedicated .25” super-cush padded laptop compartment (available for 16” or 18” laptops), and a pair of decently sized inner pockets perfect for gadgets, school/office supplies or any other handheld items. The Kampus, however, sets itself apart with its outer pockets and overall design. The khaki version we reviewed is a great looking bag, which is precisely what we’ve come to expect from Slappa, and the two other color choices look cool as well. Two large and seamless pockets stretch across either side of the backpack while a third vertical pocket bisects the front of the bag. All three pockets are deep but, as I learned when packing for a recent camping trip, they unfortunately didn’t offer as much usable space as I’d hoped once I stuffed the inside of the bag full of clothes, toiletries and my laptop. The mesh pocket on the inside of the top flap makes for one more useful storage area, although that too is somewhat limited depending on how full the main compartment is.
The Stovepipe is fundamentally the same bag but with a different skin. The three deep pockets from the Kampus are replaced with four smaller pockets on the outside of the Stovepipe. Unfortunately, none of the four pockets offer much space at all. In fact, we’d rather have just two deep side pockets that go all the way to the bottom of the bag than the four shallow pockets stacked in pairs on each side. The bottom pockets in particular seem almost pointless – maybe for pens and pencils, a couple jump drives and pocket change, but not much else. We also weren’t too keen on the front “jacket-flap,” which folds down and hangs off the front of the bag when it’s open, but design elements like that typically are just a matter of taste.
Slappa stayed true to the duffle bag concept with their Kampus and Stovepipe backpacks by offering tons of packable space in the main compartment but precious little additional pocket space anywhere else. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does limit each bag’s usefulness since the vast majority of the stuff you cram in there will be in the same area, making it a bit of a challenge to find what you’re looking for, especially if you have clothes and other gear all mixed together. These aren’t bags you’re going to live out of for a weekend – I pulled all my clothes out during my camping trip so I didn’t have to dig through the bag every time I wanted to change my shirt – but they are bags that will get you and your stuff to your weekend. They also pack up great and are easy to sling across your back, even when they’re packed to the gills, which makes them perfect for hikers and bikers, particularly those who need to travel with their laptops.
If you prefer backpacks to duffles, Slappa recently introduced two new faces for their M.A.S.K. custom build backpack. We first tested the M.A.S.K. a couple years ago with the High Five and KOA custom faces, and now Slappa has two more options: the Transit and Koop faces. Each is built similarly, with a foldout pocket at the bottom and a deeper, more useful pocket at the top, but the Koop is more of an eye-catcher with its electric blue styling while the Transit features a third pocket in the front, sitting stealthily behind two flaps. This extra pocket isn’t big enough to hold much more than a passport, wallet and plane ticket, but that alone makes it useful. In fact, the M.A.S.K. together with the Transit makes for one super useful carryon bag with easy accessibility. Yet another Slappa bag for another situation.
I am a backpack guy. Whether I’m going away for a week or heading out for a quick overnighter, you can bet I’ve got my backpack slung across my back for the trip. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a good laptop shoulder bag, especially for those daily commutes or day-long work meetings where a hulking backpack would just be overkill. Seeing as how my favorite backpack at the moment – and, incidentally, the best one I’ve ever owned – is SLAPPA’s custom build M.A.S.K. backpack, I didn’t hesitate when offered the opportunity to take the KIKEN shoulder bag (billed as the M.A.S.K. cousin) for a test drive.
Now, we’ve admittedly been big SLAPPA fans here at Bullz-Eye for several years, largely because they’ve always delivered high-quality bags that have clearly been thoroughly researched long before seeing the light of day. The KIKEN is no different on that front. SLAPPA spent nearly 20 months developing this shoulder bag, surveying customers and trade show attendees in an effort to, as they say, “develop the best laptop shoulder bag on the market.” Did they succeed? Well, we won’t pretend to have that answer since we haven’t sampled the KIKEN’s closest competitors, but after spending one weekend with the bag, we can say those 20 months of development were very well spent.
I recently left the wife and kids for a weekend and headed up to Traverse City, MI, for my annual trip with some college friends. Typically, this weekend is built for my M.A.S.K. backpack, but I couldn’t pass up the perfect opportunity to really put the KIKEN through the paces. I loaded it up with everything I’d normally throw into my backpack – laptop, iPod, all the necessary cords and chargers, GPS and mount, some snacks, an extra pair of shoes, some cold weather gear, and a few other odds and ends. With its huge center storage compartment and series of handy pockets, along with the TSA-friendly quick-scan 18” laptop section in the back, the KIKEN took everything I could throw at it. Plus, packing everything up was a breeze since you can open both main compartments wide like a book to get to everything you need. And like most other SLAPPA bags, it’s made with puncture-proof and water-resistant 1680D Ballistix nylon, and every zipper puller, clasp and “D” ring is molded alloy. We’ve come to expect nothing but top quality from SLAPPA gear, and they always deliver.
That’s not to say I dig everything about the KIKEN – I’d prefer clasps on the bag flap instead of a long Velcro strip, and I’d love to have a mesh pocket on one of the corners for a water bottle – but those two quibbles are more than offset by the ability to customize the look of the bag with one of the four interchangeable flaps, which allows you to change the look and functionality of the bag at any time. For my trip, I swapped out the Black Blast flap for the Jedi Mind Trix option, which comes with two large Velcro straps that I used tie down my jacket. Handy, indeed. Granted, you have to buy each of the flaps separately, but it’s a cool option to have nonetheless, particularly for a cavernous bag like this that still doesn’t feel too bulky when it’s strapped onto your shoulder. We can’t definitively say the KIKEN is the best laptop shoulder bag on the market, but we’d be surprised if it had much competition for that title.
If you live in one of the country’s metropolitan centers, you probably know Equinox. For the rest of the world, Equinox is a super posh club gym that caters to the wealthy and fabulous. That’s not to say it’s not a good gym, in fact, by most accounts it’s a fantastic place to workout.
Today, Equinox launched a confidence campaign. Basically it’s an effort to inspire you to get your lazy ass to the gym and get into the kind of shape that will give you confidence. To support the campaign, the company created Equimatic, a Facebook app that works a little bit like Instagram, framing uploaded pictures to look like a polaroid, and giving them a bit of a vintage blur filter. The hope is that confident people from around the world will upload pictures on the Equinox Facebook page, showing off their confidence and sending those pictures to friends and family.
Maybe it’s just me, but I hate getting pictures of my super-fit friends with their shirts off, but that’s probably just because I’m out of shape. And maybe that’s the point. To inspire the people around you to work for a body that will give them the same kind of confidence you have.
The best part of the campaign is that anyone who uploads a photo to the Equinox Facebook page will be eligible for exclusive Equinox rewards. If you’re feeling extra fit, and feel like flaunting it to a few of your closest friends, check out Equinox Equimatic on the Equinox Facebook page.
With the holidays behind us, many of you are enjoying the new gadget gifts you received, including iPods and iPads. One way to maximize these and other music players involves upgrading the headphones, and Denon sent us several samples to try out, including the AH-D510R Over-Ear Headphone pictured above and the AH-C560R In-Ear Headphone pictured below. Both sets are part of Denon’s exclusive Mobile Elite series.
I was impressed with both units. Naturally, the expectations on sound quality were higher for the over-ear headphones and the AH-D510R delivered excellent sound quality, particularly when you consider the $99.99 retail price. The AH-D510R features Denon’s Acoustic Optimizer system, which provides equal ambient air pressure on both sides of the diaphragm for naturally balanced sound. In addition, the earpieces feature Denon’s exclusive Hybrid Metal Housing technology, which combines machined aluminum alloy with resonance-free resin. It matched up well with a much higher-priced set of headphones I use regularly. The headphones are large as you might expect and they don’t come with a travel case, so using them for travel might be a little difficult.
The AH-C560R In-Ear Headphone was also impressive, though I’m partial to the better sound quality from over-ear headphones. I’ll take better sound over convenience any day. That said, everyone needs in-ear headphones in our portable world and this Denon set offers a solid option. For the $99.99 retail price retail price you also get a handy, compact carrying case along with a number of alternate foam tips that make it easier to find a good fit for your ears.
Both sets feature an inline three button remote on the cord that can control select iPod and iPhone models, and includes a microphone that lets you record voice memos with select iPod models and answer calls with select iPhone models. With the inline remote, you can control volume level as well as play, pause, forward and back functions. This handy feature adds nice value, particularly if you own Apple products.
You can’t go wrong with the Denon headphones, and if you really want to enjoy your new music gadgets, check out our Bullz-Eye music reviews as well for some great new music suggestions.
If you live in one of the country’s metropolitan centers, you probably know Equinox. For the rest of the world, 
